Welsh Regions Signings/Departures/Rumours 2013 (Scarlets set to offer James "cub" Davies a contract)

First topic message reminder :

Ospreys

In

Tito Tebaldi (Zebra) – Confirmed
Rhodri Williams (Scarlets) - Rumour

Out

Kahn Fotuali'i (Northampton Saints) - Confirmed
Jonathan Thomas (Bayonne/Worcester Warriors) - Rumour
Jonathan Humphries (Scotland Forwards Coach) - Confirmed
Campbell Johnstone ( Russian Club) - Confirmed
George Stowers (Tasman) - Confirmed

Scarlets

In

Steven Shingler ( London Irish) –Confirmed
Ed Jackson (London Welsh ) – Rumour
Andrew Coombes (Dragons) - Rumour
Gareth Delve ( Melbourne Rebels) - Rumour
Serge Lilo (Wellington Lions) - Rumour
John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) - Confirmed
Nick Cummins (Western Force) - Rumour
Farid Sid (Perpignan)- Rumour
Opeti Fonua (Agen) - Rumour
Brett Deacon (Leicester Tigers) - Rumour
Regan King (Backs/Skills Coach) - Rumour
Genesis Mamea (Wellington) - Rumour
Darran Harris (Pontypridd) - Rumour


Out

Tomas vallejos cinalli (Pampas XV) – Confirmed
Gareth Maule (London Irish/Munster) – Rumour
Adam Warren (Cardiff)- Rumour
Scott Williams (Cardiff) – Rumour
Sione Timani (Agen) – Confirmed
Rhodri Williams (Ospreys) – Rumour
Tavis Knoyle ( Gloucester) – Confirmed
Gareth Davies ( Cardiff) –Rumour
Owen Williams (Leicester Tigers) – Confirmed
Jonathan Edwards (Released) – Confirmed
Andy Fenby (London Irish) - confirmed
Morgan Stoddart (Retired) - Confirmed
Dan Newton (London Scottish) - Confirmed
Kieron Murphy (London Welsh/Edingburgh) - Rumour
George North ( Northampton Saints)- Confirmed
Rheon James (Cornish Pirates)- Confirmed
Richie Pugh (Released) -Confirmed
Rhys Jones (Released) - RumourConfirmed
Dale Ford (Released/Bristol) - Confirmed
Samson Lee (Glouceste) - Rumour
Peter Edwards (Released) -Confirmed
Craig Hawkins (Released) - Confirmed
Craig Price (Leicester Tigers) -Rumour


Dragons

In

Ross Wardle (Bedwas) - Confirmed
Richie Rees (Edinburgh) - Confirmed
Luciano Orquera (Zebre) -Rumour
Martin Muller (Cheetahs) - Confirmed
Juan Gomez (Pampas XV) - Rumour
Netani Talei (Edingburgh) - Confirmed
Francisco Chaparro (Stade Francias) - Confirmed
Kris Burton (Treviso) - Confirmed
Rhys Thomas (Wasps)- Confirmed
Malakai Fekitoa (Auckland) - Rumour



Out

Andrew Coombes (Scarlets) – Rumour
Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro)- Confirmed
Steve Jones (Retired)- Confirmed
Tom Brown (Released/Jersey) - Confirmed
Tondi Chavhanga (Released) - Confirmed
Iestyn Thomas (Retired) - Confirmed
Josh Tyler (Released) - Confirmed
Hywel Stoddart (Released) - Confirmed

Blues

In

Filo Paulo (North Harbour) - confirmed
Matthew Rees (Scarlets) Confirmed
Liam Davies (confirmed - until end of season)
Gethin Jenkins (Toulon) - Confirmed
Rhys Gill (Saracens) - rumoured
Adam Warren (Scarlets) - rumoured
Scott Williams –(Scarlets) – rumoured
Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets) – rumour
Gareth Davies ( Scarlets) - rumour

Out

Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro) - not confirmed
Tom James (Exeter Chiefs) -confirmed
Richard Mustoe (retirement) -confirmed
Fau Filise - (retirement) rumour
Ceri Sweeney (Exeter Chiefs) - Confirmed
Leigh Halfpenny (Clermont) - Rumour
Michael Paterson (Sale Sharks) - Confirmed
Campese Ma'afu (Nottingham) -Confirmed

this weekends rugby paper reporting saints will pay 250k for north scarlets holding out for 300k deal. apparently deal could be done next week . racing metro ,stade francias are also showing interest.

pioden gorllewin wrote:this weekends rugby paper reporting saints will pay 250k for north scarlets holding out for 300k deal. apparently deal could be done next week . racing metro ,stade francias are also showing interest.

250k to the Scarlets?

Wow, that's a lot of money for 1 year of a contract - what are they going to pay North!

If there is a lot of interest coming in, the Scarlets could be better off taking the money and running, they will lose him next year anyway and he is going to be away a lot with Wales and the Lions now. Just hope North insists on previsions in his contract to allow him to train with Wales, since nobody else seems to have done so successfully (Charteris thought he had, but still ended up swapping games to face the All Blacks)

I see the title says Knoyle to leave the Scarlets. I assume it is to an English championship team or back to Neath? Glad he won't be in contention to block the progression of good scrum-halves though.

rumours are building up that tavis will be heading for the exit door this summer. he was not selected this weekend due to an apparent wrist injury - however will now turn out for llandovery instead. if believed easterby prefers the srumhalf stable of aled davies, gareth davies and rhodri williams, leaving tavis out in the cold.

possible move to the blues or aviva?

Apparently it is either Racing Metro or Stade have signed Lydiate according to this, although I though his destination was undisclosed at this time.

http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/domestic-club-rugby-union/english-rugby-premiership/8442/northampton-saints-will-pay-250k-to-sign-big-george-north/ wrote:Northampton made their offer following inquiries by Stade Francais and Racing Metro who have already signed Jonny Sexton, Jamie Roberts and Danny Lydiate.

I would have thought that saints would have been viewed as a team in decline so I find it strange North would go there.
It's a big loss for them but Scarlets have a lot of good replacements for him.

Also latest on Twitter from Ian Evans, the Ospreys accademy is being closed down (to pay for Biggar's new contract), i bet he gets a roasting of Hore and Co. for starting that rumour.

I think that's pretty funny myself!

Yeah but can you image the outcry when the Western Fail run a story of the Osprey Accademy is to be shutdown due to lack of funding, they will piggy back it onto a story about North leaving and then wait fo the fireworks.

Doesnt the WRU run the academies anyway...surely not even the WM could be stupid...right? right?

Whats Gareth Maule like? Apparently Munster are looking at him as a centre option now that Luke Fitzgerald deal has fallen through. His is out of contract at end of year and Scarlets are said to be holding out on any committment with finding a number 8 their biggest priority. Nothing remotely close to confirmed but its doing the rounds in Limerick.

red_stag wrote:Whats Gareth Maule like? Apparently Munster are looking at him as a centre option now that Luke Fitzgerald deal has fallen through. His is out of contract at end of year and Scarlets are said to be holding out on any committment with finding a number 8 their biggest priority. Nothing remotely close to confirmed but its doing the rounds in Limerick.

Very solid 13, pretty physical - he has good experience in the pro12 and has captained the Scarlets before

A very good squad player and the Scarlets would do badly to lose him (especailly if Warren/Williams is off to the Blues)

The whole Keith Earls to 13 experiment has fallen down the drain so it seems.

red_stag wrote:Whats Gareth Maule like? Apparently Munster are looking at him as a centre option now that Luke Fitzgerald deal has fallen through. His is out of contract at end of year and Scarlets are said to be holding out on any committment with finding a number 8 their biggest priority. Nothing remotely close to confirmed but its doing the rounds in Limerick.

Gareth Maule should have been capped by now IMO, he is still young (25) and is a very solid centre, and has filled in on the wing and at fullback when needed. He is not a flashy centre but is far from being a bosh merchant. He outstripped BOD, and with style, in the HEC at PYS this season. Also I believe last season he was out Co-Vice-Captain with Iestyn Thomas, because Matthew Rees (club captain at the time) was off at the RWC.

If he does go to Munster I think he would pretty rapidly become a fan favourite, as he does put everything in. And hopefully if the Irish like him, then hopefully that will raise his value, and he may well get the call from Wales come the AIs or 6Ns.

ScarletSpiderman, has he not been capped. Makes a lot more sense so IMO. Its annoying me at Irelands finding these players for residency and ancestry. Strauss was the first Project Player we capped. Payne is likely to be second next year. Can you imagine Maule lining up against Wales. Seems wrong.

Is Maule Irish? That's new news to me. Agree that he is a good player and showed up well in the European competition when asked to. Strong defender, direct runner but also learnt a few tricks from Regan King. Also surprised at his lack of cap.

Morgannwg wrote:Is Maule Irish? That's new news to me. Agree that he is a good player and showed up well in the European competition when asked to. Strong defender, direct runner but also learnt a few tricks from Regan King. Also surprised at his lack of cap.

I don't believe he is Irish, however he can still become Irish berfore he turns 29, if he goes to Munster.

Maule is very well respected within the scarlet squad, and coaching team. would be a loss to the region if he went. could see him turning out to be a very good signing for munster.

looks like they've set a fortnight to sort the North possible transfer out:

North's agent Christian Abt has said that he hopes for a decision within a fortnight and Easterby has admitted that it will be for the benefit of both parties for the issue to be sorted out quickly.

Be interesting if we will get a comment for Roger Lewis this weekend about another Welsh star possibly leaving Wales.

I think Maule will be capped on a tour to Japan this year. He may even captain a side.

international197 wrote:I think Maule will be capped on a tour to Japan this year. He may even captain a side.

To be honest if the WRU have any brains they will cap him.

international197 wrote:I think Maule will be capped on a tour to Japan this year. He may even captain a side.

I doubt he will even go. In the centre we will lose probably Roberts and Davies, so that will mean Beck and Williams will step straight into their places, with Hook doing his traditional benchwarming for fly half/centre. Then they will most likely take either Hewitt (who has been in the training squad a few times), Gareth Owen (again in the training squad a few times), or some young talent like Cory Allen or Owen Williams (Blues).

Although if they are thinking of capping players to stop them playing for another country in the future then that will mean Owen Williams (Scarlets/Leicester), ANdy Fenby and Gareth Maule will all be heading out there.

Seriously doubt Hewitt or Owen will get a call-up

Warren, Maule, Bishop, Hughes and O.Williams will be fighting for the 3rd centre spot

Dammit, how could I forget Warren, Bishop, Hughes or even Isaacs! Yeah they all have a far more realistic shout than Owen or Hewitt, but even Owen and Hewitt have a better shout than Maule IMO, as Maule is just one of those players desitined to be just on the fringes and then classed as too old/unprovent/regional level etc.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dammit, how could I forget Warren, Bishop, Hughes or even Isaacs! Yeah they all have a far more realistic shout than Owen or Hewitt, but even Owen and Hewitt have a better shout than Maule IMO, as Maule is just one of those players desitined to be just on the fringes and then classed as too old/unprovent/regional level etc.

Owen, yes - he has a lot of potential and is still young.

Hewitt, no - he is regional level at best and not near HC standard

red_stag wrote:ScarletSpiderman, has he not been capped. Makes a lot more sense so IMO. Its annoying me at Irelands finding these players for residency and ancestry. Strauss was the first Project Player we capped. Payne is likely to be second next year. Can you imagine Maule lining up against Wales. Seems wrong.

How can Munster get Maule when they already have LLL?

Ashley Smith may leave the Dragons

Apparently he is a back up for the Blues if the Scott Williams deal falls through.

The Dragons are willing to let him go to strengthen other position

wales606 wrote:Ashley Smith may leave the Dragons

Apparently he is a back up for the Blues if the Scott Williams deal falls through.

The Dragons are willing to let him go to strengthen other position

Typical Cardiff, the cheque book charlies that they are.

Seriously though, if I was a Scarlets fan (LOL) i'd be mightily peeved if North AND Scott Williams leave and even more so if the latter ends up at Cardiff Blues.

I will be very gutted should Williams leave as well as Maule, although if we can keep Foxy, Maule and either Scott or Warren then i guess I can deal with it. After all the players need game time and seeing as three are welsh internationals and Maule should be imo, there is no way to keep them all and keep everyone happy.

As for North, I will be upset to see him go but seeing as he has played only six more games for us than he has for Wales, I guess he is a pretty expensive luxury. Someone said on scarletfever that if we aee offered £300k for him, and about £100k we would save in his wages, not selling him weighed up against the games he is expected to play next season, not selling him would cost us about £27k a game. So unless he is going to sign the contract extension we have given him, then selling him now is the only option.

Losing Knoyle is more upsetting, as i think the other three scrum halves are all too similar, so losing Tav means losing the ability to change the style and pace of the game if needed.

Pioden, you might want to update your OP for Craig Mitchell - he's got two more years under contract at Exe and I believe he's just recently bought a house down here, so fairly sure he's not off to the Blues

The rumours about the scarlets are worrying. If they all pan out we won't have any players left next season.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Pioden, you might want to update your OP for Craig Mitchell - he's got two more years under contract at Exe and I believe he's just recently bought a house down here, so fairly sure he's not off to the Blues

Done

Mckay also I'm concerned about the repercussions if we do lose our internationals this summer, then will the likes of foxy stay around next summer when his contract is up for renewel?

Owen Williams leaving to Tigers is still a move i struggle with - just shows our players are getting picked off either side of their development pathway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21962523

Easters again saying the regions need to be self funding, and can not relly on money men. Something is definately going on behind the scenes at PYS.

By Tom Vickers
Published on 28/03/2013 10:29

Saints chairman Leon Barwell says they are giving Wales star George North ‘time and space’ as the winger considers making a switch to Franklin’s Gardens.

And he confirmed that Northampton have offered a deal to the 20-year-old, who has one year remaining on his Scarlets contract.

“It’s a big decision for George and we don’t want to put undue pressure on him,” said Barwell.

“He’s got to make sure that when he makes the decision it’s the right one for him as an individual on the basis he really wants to come to Northampton.

“We’re giving him some time and space to do that.

Looks like Adam Warren has signed an extension at the Scarlets so will not be moving to the Blues.

Scott Williams has been the favourite anyway

2ndtimeround wrote:Looks like Adam Warren has signed an extension at the Scarlets so will not be moving to the Blues.

Thats good news but definately means Maule or Scott are off

Any news on his brother signing a pro contract with us yet? I heard he wa waiting to see what Adam did.

Nothing else said, picked the Adam signing up on a scarlet fever thread about last nights meeting, Really hope it will trigger Aaron signing as well though as he looks to have a promising future.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

red_stag wrote:ScarletSpiderman, has he not been capped. Makes a lot more sense so IMO. Its annoying me at Irelands finding these players for residency and ancestry. Strauss was the first Project Player we capped. Payne is likely to be second next year. Can you imagine Maule lining up against Wales. Seems wrong.

How can Munster get Maule when they already have LLL?

No idea LeinsterFan4Life,

He certainly hasn't been the success story that we hoped. His contract runs until end of next season. Only thing I can think of would be:

- Maule could be "classed" as a 12
- Maule falls under a Project Player rather than NIQ

But you're right it would be poor form to have two foreign centres.

Cheetah and Griquas lock Martin Muller, Young South African lock forward Martin Muller represented his country at a number of age-group levels, including SA Schools and SA Under 21, before then making his Super rugby debut with the Stormers in 2009. A lineout specialist, Muller also adds great value to any side with his high work-rate around the pitch and his clinical cleaning out of the rucks. Date of Birth: 23/03/88
Position: Lock
Height: 1.98m
Weight: 111kg
Currently contracted to: Cheetahs

You have been told !

Somebody has posted this on the Dragons forum. I haven't seen any SuperRugby recently to know about him.

Risca if he is a saffer lock your pretty safe to bet he will be a decebt addition to the Dragons, even if it is just to bring a different mentality to the training ground for young lads in the squad. I have not heard of him before, biltong is probably the best bloke to ask.

Cheetahs are playing well but I haven't heard of that lock. I'll keep an eye out. A strong lock coming from a winning team would be a welcome addition.

mikey_philVIII wrote:Cheetahs are playing well but I haven't heard of that lock. I'll keep an eye out. A strong lock coming from a winning team would be a welcome addition.

It pains me to say it as a Dragons fan, but these days any signing we get I always ask 'why?' Why would a strong lock from a winning team (which I hope he is) want to leave to play for us?! I know that's very negative, but we don't seem to be able to offer much on any front - money, silverware, lifestyle, weather, potential (unless you're extremely optimistic!). I think that's the vicious circle that the Dragons are in at the moment - not much to offer, so no one comes, so we lack quality, we then have little chance of doing well, so the current players leave, so we don't do well, the fans are turned off, gate receipts are down, money is tight, we don't have much to offer, so no one comes, and on and on the downward sprial goes. I think sometimes it just takes one or two ambitious signings, if we could just persuade a couple of big names, then others may want sign or stay, almost like building a squad around a few players. Let's hope we get some good'uns signing up in the off season.

this signing would make sense. he's from the same south african rugby agency as chavhanga. so the dragons would have links with world artists rugby agency. i'm guessing he would come over stating his desire to be WQ in 3 years time. that seems to be the trend with the players coming over from this particular agency (e.g George Earle, Josh Strauss and Jacobie Adriaanse have all declared their desire to represent their new adopted homes)

Here his link on the agency, also show reel for you risca to see some clips of him in action:

http://www.worldartists.co.za/page/clients/Second_row_forward/592107-Martin-Muller

Cheers Pioden. Apparently there's a South African prop en route too, but I don't have more on that off the site.

Risca Rev wrote:Cheers Pioden. Apparently there's a South African prop en route too, but I don't have more on that off the site.

if i was a betting man i'd say he'd be from the same agency too. lourens adriaanse possibly? might follow his brother over to wales.

A (genuinely good) South African lock and tight head and I'd be more than happy. I have to agree with Griff though, we're not much of a draw.

Just to say, I'm not against us signing overseas players in principle. Rodney Parade has had a long tradition with South African players - Gary Teichmann, Franco Smith, Adrian Garvey, Andy Marinos, Hal Luscombe, Percy Montgomery, Rhys Thomas, Chavanga off the top of my head - some for Newport RFC, some for the Dragons, and some spanning both at the start of regional rugby. More than any other nation, South Africa has supplied us with a lot of good players. People used to joke that Newport should be called the Bok and Ambers!

My only problem is that we used to sign experienced, marquee players - Garvey was a very good international prop, Teichmann springbok captain, Montgomery a great player and points machine. Nowadays the regions are under pressure to develop for the national team, so end up taking a punt on young time serving players who haven't proved themselves much at the top level. A few ITM matches, or Currie cup games, or a sprinkling of S15 matches. That's great, and those leagues are a good standard, but it's still a risk. Just think of some of the punts the Blues have taken recently - their props seem to be a bit of a flop. The Dragons foreign signings have probably seen a 1 in 5 success rate (Willis, MacDonald, Hercus, Arlidge, Chavanga, Castle, Nimmo, Fitesemanu, etc.), if that. It's an expensive punt because they're often found to be poor in the first few months, but then have to see out a 2 or 3 year contract.

So, I'd more than happy to see experienced pros signing because they're tried and tested and bring fans to the games, points to the team and experience to the squad. Inexperienced overseas players are too risky IMO, especially at a time when budgets are extremely tight and history shows that only a small percentage will actually be any good.

Maybe the reason we've been up financial Poopie street (along with rugby Poopie street on the pitch) is because we stockpiled a portion of our recruitment budget last season banking on the business breaking even(ish) this season, giving us a bigger pot of cash to go shopping with for the forthcoming. Board have already said there'd be an increase. We'll always be able to sign SH players if the money is right.

Owen Williams leaving to Tigers is still a move i struggle with - just shows our players are getting picked off either side of their development pathway.

It's a brave move but an ambitious one. Flood will finish his career in France after the next RWC. With Ford poached by Bath the next 10 in the academy turned 18 this year. Bowden is seen as a 12 and Lamb is the only competition for the 10 bench spot. Seeing as Tigers like consistency Williams should be looking to cement second choice by half way through next season and then get himself into position as Flood's successor the season after. Flood goes for a French swansong in France and Williams is mid 20s first choice 10 behind a traditionally strong pack competing for silverware every season.

Compare that to Scarlets who have Priestland in his mid 20s and unlikely to leave anytime soon, Shingler has signed up again meaning at best Williams would be third choice behind two players who will be at the region and in his way for several seasons.

There's also the bonus of Tigers fans liking the idea of another Welsh 10, Bledden Jones was always a favourite of the fans. There's considerably more support for him on the offy board than for Lamb so he'll be getting some vocal backing.

http://www.leicestertigers.com/news/3260.php#.UVf4W-bCufE

think owen williams will do very well for you sam. he had a poor game yesterday by his standards. miss a few kicks and stood too deep in attack. but he'll have a great environment up in leicester to learn his trade.

another welsh player that looks like going over the boarder is tavis knoyle. in todays rugby paper it's reporting gloucester, bath and melbourne rebels are after him, with gloucester the current favorites.

apparently he was also seen in the stands on friday night at the glaws vs quins game.